Kyoto (Japan) - Falling Under the Old World Charm of Gion and Shirakawa Area

Date of Exploration : 29 Mar 2016

Passing through the high walls that hid Gion (祇園) from the modern eye was like slipping through a crack in time to old Japan. And midst the labyrinth of wooded classical Japanese shophouses and abodes, a hunt is on for a glimpse of that elusive living cultural treasure of Japan... the geisha. It takes luck to spot one.

Gion is a famous geisha district, not just in Kyoto but the whole of Japan, which makes it a magnet for tourists hoping to chance a meeting with the traditional artisans. Historically, geisha are female performers who entertained male patrons with song and dance as well as offering consort and company during Japan's late medieval period from the 1600s. In those days, some of the geisha also provided sexual services and districts where they operate were condoned off and designated as pleasure quarters. Thus was the beginning of Gion. Or so many would think.

Taking a walk down the vintage Gion district is like going on a time travel to Japan's medieval past.

Contrary to popular belief, Gion was never a red-light district and geisha are not prostitutes although some worked for the pleasures of the flesh.

The true origins of Gion, as I read off the web, is that the district started as an entertainment hub to serve visitors of the nearby Yasaka-jinja Shrine (a.k.a Gion Shrine). Today, Gion has evolved into an attraction in its own right and serves as a bridge into the old world.

What greets visitors at Gion is a grid of streets and alleys packed with fine dining restaurants and tea houses (called chaya in Japanese) that will have credit card companies preparing a funeral for the banks. Eateries within Gion are known to be pricey.

The IT thing to do at Kyoto is to rent a kimono (from ¥3,000, approx. S$40) and play dress-up to resurrect a nostalgic Japanese era with you in it. There are many ladies in traditional kimono but they are not geisha or maiko (apprentice geisha) so do not be mistaken.

I also played dress up... aiming to channel Chage and Aska in a hip (I think it's hip lah) top but looking like Barney forgot sunscreen for the legs. Heh heh... Love the mostly old world feel of the alleyways at Gion.

Catch a Traditional Show at Gion Corner... if You Can

Tucked at the end of the Gion main street (if you are coming from Shijo-dori Street) is Gion Corner where you can catch a variety of traditional dances and ceremonies as well as performances by maiko (apprentice geisha). Click here for the official website of Gion Corner for their performance dates and schedules.

Tickets are at ¥3,150 (S$42) per adult but if you click here to download a coupon, print it out and show it during purchase, you can get the ticket at ¥2,800 (S$37.50). However, Gion Corner so run special promotions during special seasons and tickets can go for ¥2,500 (S$33.50) per adult so do check at the ticketing counter which is the best deal.

Entrance to Gion Corner where a study of 7 different kinds of traditional performances await. The performances include Kyo-mai Dance, Flower Arrangement, Tea Ceremony, Koto Zither, Gagaku Court Music, Kyogen Theatre, and Bunraku Puppet Theatre.

I looked forward to catching the the performances and came ahead at 4:30pm to purchase tickets for the 6:00pm show but was turned away. Ticketing only opens 30 minutes before the two nightly shows (unless stipulated as closed) at 6:00pm and 7:00pm.

Hence, for the 6:00pm show, tickets are available for sale at 5:30pm and 6:30pm for the 7:00pm show. We came at 5:45pm to buy tickets for the 6:00pm but it was already sold out. I was crestfallen but decided not to go for the 7:00pm show as I was famished and looked forward for dinner.

So my advice would be to start queuing at least 45 minutes before the stipulated show times.

The performance hall of Gion Corner is the beige building on the left.

The good thing about being at Gion Corner early prior to the show times is that you may get to see a Maiko making her way to the theatre for the evening's performance! I was caught by surprise and they don't stop for photos so this smudgy shot was what I had to contend with using my Olympus Tough TG-4 compact cam.

Do Not Touch the Geisha or Hound them Like Paparazzi

It is very hard not to be all worked up and excited upon seeing a real-life maiko or geisha. Because of their reclusive and guarded realm, their secret lives have become something of an enigma that makes a sighting the highlight of a visit to Gion.

The enthusiasm to bring home a memory of proof of sighting by tourists has led to increasing complaints from the artisans that tourists have become disturbingly rude with them by blocking their paths, holding them back and chasing after them for photographs. This led to the following sign to remind visitors to be respectful of geisha...

See no touch. Be respectful of Maiko and Geisha. You can take a photo from a distance but do not block their way or stop them as they are on their way to honour the booking of their entertainment services. That is, they are on their way to work. So stopping for photos with every click-hungry tourist would cause them to be late.

Weaving through the side streets and alleys of Gion, we came across houses with wooden tablets placed on top of the door frame. These are homes of a geisha and her charge of maiko (trainee geisha). Geisha is used both as a singular to describe one geisha as well as plural to describe many of them. Likewise, using the term maiko can mean one or a group.

In Kyoto, the geisha is also called 'geiko' (pronounced as "gay cold" and not to be mispronounced as "gecko"). The village of the geiko is listed and the names of the maiko all ending in 子 (zi) are displayed outside the house.In the past, a girl may start training as a maiko from the age of 8 years-old. The modern day maiko starts between the ages of 15 to 20 and their training could take as long as 5 years to complete before they 'graduate' to become a geiko. A geiko performance commands more prestige and a higher price compared to a maiko.

Face-time with a maiko! Again, the sighting took me by surprised and I tried to take a photo from the side without being intrusive. As the light was failing, she was constantly moving and I didn't want to shock her with flash photography, the photo turned out blur again.

She is the third maiko we saw during our time in Gion. We saw one in a cab on her way to perform in a private event, another at Gion Corner, and this one who walked face-on in my direction. We must be really lucky!

A maiko's costume is usually more vibrant and colourful as compared to the oft single-toned sombre hues that a geiko dresses in; that's how to tell them apart. Maiko and geiko don't perform for just anybody. You have to have connections to be invited to a private performance and be prepared to pay. Else, head over to Gion Corner for a sample of traditional dance performed by maiko.

No selfie with geiko or maiko? No problem! Found these 2 cute and friendly gals in kimono to get my brush-with-history memento. Arigatou ladies!

 Shimbashi Street in Shirakawa Area Switches on its Charms

While the walled geisha district of Gion that sprouted along Hanami-koji Street is a key tourist attraction in Kyoto, there are many other scenic spots to explore outside of it and the most charming of them all would be Shimbashi Street in the Shirakawa Area. Especially at night when the night lights come on.

We didn't really know our way to Shimbashi Street so we just followed the backs of strangers who seemed to have a destination in their stride and hoped that we'll stumble upon the famed street.

Countless shops line the vehicular streets immediately outside of Gion. We were wandering blindly but thankfully, we arrived at...

... Shimbashi Street! This is one side of it lined with blooming sakuras. It took us under 20 minutes to walk from Gion to Shimbashi Street.

The boulevard of statuesque sakura trees filled the atmosphere with romance and magic... and then I had to stand there and spoil it. LOL

Across from the boulevard of cherry blossoms is the Shirakawa Canal where the most enchanting street-scape of Kyoto unfolds along the waterway.

Sakura lined streets, bridges, a flowing stream and classical architecture... Shimbashi Street with the accompanying Shirakawa Canal brought to life a fairytale scene.

The best time to visit Shimbashi Street is during the evening when the day crosses over to the night. This was taken at 6:40pm when the blue hour was at its peak.

Words and photos are inadequate to fully express the period beauty of this lyrical poem residing in a bewitching painting.

Lots of visitors and photographers fell under the spell of Shimbashi Street. On the other side of the canal, premium restaurants and tea houses line the banks to offer a prime dining experience.

A cascading spray of cherry blossoms in full bloom.

The sakura flowers radiate beauty both in daylight and artificial light.

No leaves just flowers.

We took a very scenic night stroll down Shimbashi Street.

Shimbashi Street receives an endless stream of visitors during sakura season.

I liked the lights found around Shirakawa Area that are such beacons of Zen.

The tight alleyways of Shirakawa Area are home to numerous restaurants waiting to be savoured.

Old world in a new light.

Our visit of Gion and the scenic areas beyond it began from 4pm and ended at 7pm. Personally, I didn't find a lot of things to do except for landscape photography and and posing in them.

Restaurants and shops at these heritage quarters have an obligation towards authenticity so it's impossible to see beyond the wooded frames and paper screens to know what's offered inside. Their commitment to uniformity in building material also led to a somewhat homogenous look where it is hard to distinguish one eatery from another.

Yet, those are the factors that distinguish Kyoto from other Japanese cities and that which made this place a come-to to escape the hyper urbanity and frenzied life-pace of Japan.

Nara (Japan) - A Day Trip to Nara Park

Date of Exploration : 2 Apr 2016

When we planned a day trip to Nara Park, my intention of coming here was to see the park's famed tame deer. But at the end of my visit, I can't help but marvel at the buffet of experiences I had been served. The park has a unique and delicious mix of natural, cultural, and architectural flavours that few places in Japan, or anywhere else in the world can emulate.

Our excursion to Nara Park was part of the Osaka leg of my first trip to Japan's mainland, which also covered Tokyo and Kyoto. On the intended day of our Nara Park day trip, the weather in Osaka was rainy and gloomy so we checked the Japan MET forecast, saw that the following day was sunny in Nara, and decided to switch our plans to go Nara Park the next day. Boy were we glad we did. Visiting the park during a beautiful day of spring was sublimely splendid! So check the forecast before you visit and retain some flexibility in your itinerary to respond to the weather condition.

Getting to Nara Park (from Osaka)

Nara Park is at the centre of Nara City within Nara Prefecture and it is easily accessible from Kyoto or Osaka. The city of Kyoto, Nara and Osaka form sort of a triangle relative to each other with Nara in between the other two cities.

There are two main train services that link Kyoto and Osaka to Nara. One is the Japan Railways (JR) train and the other is the Kintetsu train. Where possible, choose the Kintetsu railway service as the station is located closer to Nara Park (about 10 minutes walk) while it takes around 20 minutes to walk to Nara Park from the JR Nara Station.

We stayed at Osaka's Namba district and there was a direct Kintetsu railway train to Nara. Ticket price was ¥560 (approx. S$7) and it took us about 40 minutes on the express route. It can be quite confusing when taking the rail services as the same route is served by different trains.

As a general rule, any train that goes the normal route will stop at every station between two points while "limited express" will stop at limited stops between the same two points.
Along the way, we sped past neat rows of low rise houses and buildings as well as fields that stretches towards the city nucleus.

We made the mistake of getting on a normal route train but thankfully we asked the other passengers on the train and a college youngster, though he spoke almost no English, did his best to get us to alight at the last stop that the limited express train would stop and board it. He did it by accompanying us to get off at the stop and pointing us to board the express train even though it was out of his way.

I was so impressed by his hospitality and very grateful because the express train skipped stopping at around 8 stations that the normal train would pick up passengers and that saved quite some travel time. The longest travel time on the limited express train between two stations without any stop is about 25 minutes so do go to the toilet before boarding.

Nature, Culture and Architecture

This post is a brief summation of my visit to Nara Park with an overview of what I encountered and experienced. Key attractions and activities at Nara Park include deer feeding, visiting Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, Nara National Museum and enjoying the lush gardens throughout the park. We didn't managed to cover everything and you can click on the highlighted links above of what we managed to do for more detailed information.

We left our hotel at about 10am to go to Nara Park and ended the visit at about 5pm so plan for a full day trip and go even earlier than us in order to see everything at the park.

The first thing that made my heart skip were the free roaming deer we came across as we got closer to one of the entrances of Nara Park. I didn't expect to see a deer so soon and thought it would be a matter of luck to see them but no, they were everywhere! And if you bought their favourite snack (shika sembei deer biscuit) from one of the street vendors, you won't be left alone.

You don't have to look for the deer at Nara Park. They look for you if you have their addiction on hand... their favourite biscuit - shika sembei. It is okay to feed, pet and get close to the deer but keep in mind that they are wild beasts, abet accustomed to humans, so have an eye out for aggressive behaviour and avoid those that are intrusive.

吵架了。Looks like they had a quarrel and are not seeing eye-to-eye. Well, in any relationship that is close, it is inevitable that each others' coat get ruffled once in a while. It is a test of the strength of the union and the depth of letting-go-ness. Strong ones will grow stronger through the trials, and the unstable ones will snap.

Some beg, others snatch, but most would bow to be fed. Click here to learn the trick of feeding the Nara Park deer.

This scene looks like one of those drawings I made in my childhood years as part of those psychological assessments that predict your personality based on where you placed elements such as tree, river, house, mountain, sun, etc.

The first site of historical importance we came to was Kofukuji Temple. It adjoins a five-tiered pagoda that was built in 730 and has become an unofficial symbol of Nara.

A museum (not the Nara National Museum) that we passed by while on our way to Kasuga Taisha Shrine.

The middle gate (chumon) of Kasuga Taisha, which is a Shinto shrine and stands out from other shrines because of its...

... countless stone and bronze lanterns that decorate and surround the shrine grounds. Read more about Kasuga Taisha here.

From Kasuga Taisha, we walked over to Todaiji Temple, one of Japan's most historically and culturally significant places of worship.

The attraction at Todaiji, and it's hard to miss, is the giant Buddha. Read more about Todaiji here.

Nara Park consists of many gardens and parks that offer rewarding sights during different seasons. We came during the beginning of spring marked by the blossoming of sakuras and an explosion of pink blanketed the Kasugano-enchi Park near Todaiji Temple.

Upclose with one of the yaezakura (cherry blossoms with flowers that have more than 5 petals) species.

The roof poking out from the trees is that of Todaiji Temple. We ended our excursion to Nara Park at Kasugano-enchi Park. The sun was beginning to set and painted the far sky with crimson hues. Surrounding the park were sakuras in full bloom and a wide expanse of grassy field in front of us. I didn't think the scene was particularly captivating, but it was beautiful because of the company I had to see it with.

Related Posts :
Deer Moments at Nara Park
Kasuga Taisha Shrine of Lanterns
Todaiji : The Great Eastern Temple of Shingon Buddhism

Pattaya - The Sanctuary of Truth

Date of Exploration : 11 Mar 2015

Like a fan following the works of an author or movie series, I've recently completed something of a travel trilogy with my visit to The Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya. An exquisite monument that pays homage to traditional Khmer architectural stylings while being imbued with Buddhist and Hindu iconography, The Sanctaury of Truth (I shall call it The Truth for short) is one of three religious-cultural attractions conceived by Thai business tycoon, Khun Lek Viriyaphant. The other two attractions financed and owned by Khun Lek are Muang Boran and Erawan Museum, both located in the Samut Prakan province, which is within the jurisdiction of Bangkok.

Unlike franchise-chain attractions that feature a basic entertainment concept duplicated across different markets with some localisations, the trio of attractions by Khun Lek are vastly distinct although their founding philosophies of preserving Thai religious heritage and architectural traditions mirror each other. The result is three places of interest in Thailand that enthrall in different ways... at Muang Boran, you will find a sprawling collection of definitive Thai architectural replicas across the Kingdom spanning the Ayuthayan period to more modern times; while Erawan Museum takes visitors on a transcendental journey through the three realms of existence from the underworld, earth and heaven all housed within a whimsical musicbox-like building crowned with a three-headed elephant; and The Truth is an intoxicating blend of mastery in handcrafted carpentry with enlightening percepts of Hindu-Buddhism.

A vision by the sea. The tiered roof of The Sanctuary of Truth pierces the landscape of Pattaya's northern coastline with an understated majesty.

Visiting The Truth is my main reason for coming to Pattaya. From my visits to Muang Boran and Erawan Museum, I've come to expect nothing but to be fascinated by Kun Lek's imaginative aspirations in cultural philanthropy and the bewildering artistry of the built monuments.

Getting to The Truth

Packages are available at most hotels and pop-up travel booths along the streets of Pattaya for about 800bht for a half-day tour. However, it is not difficult to visit The Truth on your own with public transport.

Pattaya is divided into 3 sections - North, Central, and South. From North to South, it's about 8km. The Truth sits at the tip of a beach in the North in a district known as Nak Lua. I was staying in the South Pattaya near the Walking Street and intended to take a taxi to The Truth (cost between 250 - 300bht one way; better to take taxi if there are 4 in your group) but after chatting with my hotel's receptionist, I was told a cheaper way to get there since I'm travelling solo. Here's how :

1. Take a song taew (also known as 'baht bus') from South or Central Pattaya to Dolphin Roundabout. The drivers all know this roundabout and it costs 10bht.

2. From Dolphin Roundabout, cross over to the side of Nak Lua Road (next to Dusit Thani Hotel) and board another song taew (10bht). The song taews have no 'bus' numbers to indicate their routes because they basically just travel down the main roads, make a loop and turn back and travel back and forth. You just get on or off along their fixed route.

3. On Nak Lua Road, look out for Nak Lua 12 (which is a side street) and get off. On Nak Lua 12, look for a motobike 'taxi' and get it to take you to The Truth. The ride is about 5mins and should cost between 40-50bht.

From South Pattaya, I took a song taew (baht bus) along Second Road to the Dolphin Roundabout, crossed over to Nak Lua Road and took another song taew to Nak Lua 12. From Nak Lua 12, I took a motorbike taxi to The Truth. Total travelling time approx. 25 minutes without traffic jam. Total cost one way : 70bht. It sounds complicated but it's actually pretty easy and a great way to experience local transportation modes.

Dolphin Roundabout at North Pattaya Road. If you are not sure where to get off, tell the song taew driver to let you know or better yet, use Google Maps and type in "Dolphin Roundabout" to track where to get off if you bought a local traveller's SIM card.

Arriving at The Truth

The Pattayan attraction is tucked inside a small lane (Nak Lua 12) with an understated entrance that looked more like a gate to the Thai embassy than a tourist attraction.

Entrance of The Sanctuary of Truth. Opposite the entrance is a convenience store where you can buy drinks or an ice-cream to cool off before exploring The Truth. Behind me from this road sign is a rest area for motobike taxis which you can hire to take you back out to Nak Lua Road to catch a song taew after your visit.

It costs 500bht (adult) for foreigners to enter The Truth and the staff will try to upsell you an elephant, horse or boat ride to tour the park grounds at a cost starting from 800bht which includes entrance fee. I went with the basic 500bht option although I think the boat ride would provide an interesting vantage point to appreciate the monument from the sea. But I'm cheap. Ha.

The Truth is not immediately visible from the entrance and we had to walk through a goat pen and stable before reaching the main building. I thought the close encounters with the farm animals were a rather cute welcome.

You want to meh-ess with me? Feeds for the goats can be purchased at a shed next to the pen.

Steedy, pose!

Elephant rides are available for hire to go around the park if you want a taste of transportation in the olden days.

A cultural dance performance that features a variety of dance styles served as appetisers before visiting The Sanctuary of Truth building. This pretty dancer reminds me of Anne Heche with her beautiful bright eyes.

A Thai martial arts sequence interspersed the dance performance and audience participation added an element of unpredictability to the show. This ang moh is a natural at being a comedian and he's so funny by pretending to misinterpret everything he was told in a sword fight scene!

Framing The Truth

It's very tempting to immediately head towards the main building upon seeing it but reign in the enthusiasm a little and walk around the park area surrounding the monument and you may find some interesting foreground to frame The Truth.

This is the first glimpse of The Truth building after a short walk from the entrance.

There's a neglected garden with a lake on the way to the monument's front entrance which presented some interesting opportunities to frame the building through lush foliage. Walk around and find your photographic angles.

From framing with leaves to reflection in a small lake, there are quite a number of ways to photograph The Truth before reaching the monument.

On the Surface of The Truth

Building started in 1981 and continues to today with 70% of the monument being completed. The remaining 30% is slated for completion over the span of another 30 years. Even though scaffolding mars some of the exterior as well as interior parts of The Truth, the building is still a stunning visual masterpiece. The ostentatious monument is built entirely out of wood which comprises red wood, mahogany and teak. That's why the monument has different colours varying from grey to brown to deep ochre. Some parts look green and they are actually 'diseased' wood due to termite infestations and will be replaced.

Main entrance of The Truth monument.

Different colour variations arise as a result of different wood used in its construction and the different age of the various parts as building has been ongoing for more than 30 years.

Everything from the building's structure to its adorning statutes are crafted by hand. Look out for the 4 faces of Bodhisattava that sits on the back roof, The four faces represent Love, Kindness, Sympathy and Equality.

Not a moment for the eyes to rest looking at the ornate roofing. But wait till you see the inside.

This looks ouch. Apparently, no nails are used in the construction and assembly of the monument.

Rows of hand carved celestial maidens lining the roofs. No two are alike.

No empty spots on the wooden canvas. Those that are empty are yet to be filled up. There's no end to the carvings, creating an encounter with the monument that is both intimidating yet marvellous.

A closer look at the carvings that brings to life the characters and scenes from Thai, Indian, Chinese and Cambodian religious myths and legends.

The Heart of The Truth

Just looking at the building's exterior, I was already overwhelmed by the intricacies of the woodwork. But that's only the tip of the iceberg because once inside and looking at the carved decorations upclose, my mind got boggled by the sheer ingenuity and skill in turning pieces of wood into a massive work of art.

But more than just a visual spectacle, The Truth holds nuggets of Hindu-Buddhist wisdom that enlightens the mind and liberates the soul. A couple of my favourite lessons I took away from the visit are :

- The body will be ravaged by time and deteriorate but truth and goodness are immortal.
- There are 3 things that cannot be hidden - the sun, the moon and the truth.
- Materialistic pleasures are superficial and external joys. True happiness comes from intrinsic spiritual fulfillment.
- Every belief, religion and philosophy is just a different way of reaching spiritual fulfillment.

Central to the guiding theme of The Truth is that of "family" as there's no higher order of love than that which exists within a family between spouses and offsprings. A parent's love for a child is all sacrificing and unconditional and that represents the purest form of truth where the heart is open and there is nothing to hide.

Entering the truth. There are four entrances, each at a cardinal direction, but not all are open or as ornate as the main one behind the statue of the family.

Central hall of the monument. It's one of those gasp-worthy scene.

It's hard to tell where one carving begins and the other ends.

At the heart of the sanctuary is an exhibition of Buddha tooth relics. The monument does not serve as a place of worship or shrine but locals do come here to meditate and seek divinity.

Ceiling adornments in the inner hall. It would be so cool if the sculptures are mechanised and they start moving their arms and heads or some of the statues can rotate so that we can see all sides of the multi-faced buddha!

Lots of religious sculptures topless celestial maidens with ample breasts pole dancing within the monument.

One of the key exhibits is a four-walled carving that represents the central gods in Hinduism - Shiva (god of earth and fire), Vishnu (god of water), and Brahma (god of wind). These four walls encapsulate the Hinduism concept of creation, maintenance and destruction.

You can identify the god by looking at the carvings around him. If there's a dragon, which breathes fire, that's Shiva, while Brahma has carvings of clouds beneath him.

The Hard Truth

Although The Truth monument is not as big as I imagined it to be, it's colossal in terms of ambition in what it has achieved. A project of such scale is an institution in Pattaya that employs the skills of many craftsmen and women for its realisation. For a behind-the-scene look at the arduous work that goes into carving the statues, wooden laces and gopuras that make up The Sanctuary of Truth, take a walk to the nearby workshop for a peek at where all the magic happens.

Gouge, sweep and chisel... blocks of wood emerges as a sculpture or relief under the hands of masterful carvers. I can never visualise how I could turn a block of wood or stone into a person or animal.

Truth in the making as craftsmen create more works to be added to the monument.

Due to the ongoing construction works, wearing a hard hat is a must when visiting The Sanctuary of Truth. Also wear insect repellent as there are quite of bit of mozzies waiting to feast.

Having been to the other attractions that Pattaya has to offer such as the beaches, Big Buddha (Wat Khao Yai), Walking Street, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden and Pattaya Floating Market, I would say that The Sanctuary of Truth is definitely a must-see if there's only time for one attraction here. It is quite possibly the Sagrada Familia of the East!

The Sanctuary of Truth

Address : 206/2 Moo 5, Soi Naklua 12, Naklua, Pattaya, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150, Thailand

Phone :+66 38 367 229

Website : http://www.sanctuaryoftruth.com 

Related Posts :

Muang Boran (Ancient Siam formerly known as Ancient City)
Erawan Museum at Samut Prakan Province